It was fitting that Boro's season fizzled out with a lacklustre away day capitulation to a bunch of strugglers.

Because it was with insipid travelling displays against the also-rans that a season which promised so much unravelled in such frustrating fashion.

Indeed, watching a talented team that was almost unbeatable at the Riverside wither when confronted by spirited and steely journeymen was the hallmark of the season.

A long bleak winter when Boro flopped at Charlton, Villa, Blackburn, Fulham and West Brom as the flaccid frontmen fired blanks for three months, eight games, eleven hours and two minutes on the road left the season a sterile empty shell. It could be polished to look presentable but it was never going to bear fruit.

After that bout of travel sickness the euphoria of the autumn as bubbling Boro destroyed Spurs to go third ebbed slowly but inevitably away.

There was even a nervous spell when the jumpier faction were looking nervously over their shoulders at the danger zone and fearing the worst.

Despite that, a late J-powered rally meant resurgent Boro edged to within touching distance of European glory through the front door.

Right up until last week those wild-eyed optimists as yet untainted by cynicism were still holding out hopes of salvaging something by 'winning' the ludicrous Fair Play League.

And even going into the Bolton swansong a best ever eighth-placed finish and a joint best ever Premiership points tally still beckoned.

That Boro spluttered right at the death once again will add to the emotional cocktail of frustration, deflation, cynicism, bitterness and anger.

And it will ensure a depressing hangover lasting well into the summer - and may make the annual Red Book selling, big name chasing charm offensive, sticky going for the club.

So right now, after yet another season has fizzled out without a fight, looking at the final table is it possible to see much sign of obvious progress?

Big spending Boro splashed out #20m in the summer and another #5m during the transfer window as McClaren fine tuned his squad.

For that outlay they have clocked up just four points more than last season and inched forward from 12th to 11th in the Premiership table.

They won only 13 of their 38 games. They finished two points better off than crisis club Leeds and just five above last-day Houdini act Bolton.

Away from home the return of 12 points from a possible 57 was frankly abysmal. Only relegated Sunderland and West Brom plus Aston Villa - who won their only away game at the Riverside - were worse.

It was Boro's worst ever Premiership away points tally. Even Lennie Lawrence's cut-price relegation fodder earned 15 on the road while the often chaotic Foreign Legion side of 1997 picked up 13.

There is no getting away from the stark truth that Boro lacked the ingenuity, steel or fight to win away from home, even against poor sides.

There are other as yet unresolved problems too.

For instance, the Boro boss clearly does not as yet know his preferred strike force.

Despite the cash being flashed we are no closer to a well balanced effective front two who complement each other and can be relied on to create and despatch chances with match-winning monotony.

Once again no Boro striker cracked double figures while two of top gun Massimo's nine goals were from the spot.

There is also a pronounced and debilitating lack of pace and width in the team.

The former leaves the strikers isolated and looking vainly for support to arrive when they do break forward.

And the latter leaves play congested in the middle and easily contained.

It leaves Boro weaving pretty patterns through the middle but unable to find the final killer ball - especially against sides content to defend in depth and hit on the break, hence the away day woes.

It also means Boro often struggle to kill off teams leaving them vulnerable right to the final whistle, a problem evident from the opening home game against Fulham when Boro leaked two goals in the last two minutes for a 2-2 draw.

There is also the tactical quandary over Juninho. The best way of addressing the width problem is to play with four across the middle but that would restrict the creative role of the Brazilian.

But despite all that, there are still reasons to be cheerful.

There are clear signs of progress - even if they may not yet be immediately visible.

Like the proverbial duck serene on the surface, much of the productive and essential work is going on furiously below the surface.

The long term rebuilding work at Boro has continued apace.

Given the unbalanced, ageing, tactically limited and overpaid squad he inherited from Bryan Robson it is no surprise it has taken two years for McClaren to clear the dead wood and rebuild the foundations.

In the summer big earners past their sell by date like Paul Ince and Mustoe left while Luca Festa and Dean Windass soon followed them and well-paid fringe players like Carlos Marinelli, Noel Whelan and Allan Johnston have been farmed out on loan along with a host of younger lads.

And long-time political problem Alen Boksic has been shuffled into a messy semi-detached netherworld.

Meanwhile the average age has tumbled as the first team squad has been boosted by promising prospects like Andrew Davies, Stuart Parnaby and David Murphy.

McClaren has brought in players that have added options and provided cover in depth.

This term the squad has been beefed up by the arrival of Juninho, Maccarone, Geremi, Boeteng, Riggott, Doriva, Christie and Ricketts.

But they need the chance to settle properly and have a full pre-season together before they are the finished article and can be fairly judged.

Plus the future structure of the club is being cemented as young hot prospects with good habits are fast-tracked through the academy.

A Boro Juniors side playing crisp passing football got to the FA Youth Cup final and despite fielding two schoolboys did themselves proud against an older and expensively assembled Manchester United.

The Reserves also did well and missed out on their title on goal difference alone.

Big deal you may respond.

But the winning habit is an essential one to get into, especially when it is comes along with crisp football. It bodes well for the future.

Of course, good housekeeping does not win points, not even away at West Brom.

But the shrewd financial restructuring and a strong, coherent footballing culture can pay dividends, if not yet.

Meanwhile fans can console themselves while they await patiently the long-promised golden age.

And Boro were far, far more entertaining at home than for many years. And got results.

If only they could take that winning mentality and style on their travels then next year could see the real, tangible progress the fans deserve.